How to Lose Your Mind in Thirteen Easy Steps
by TheSuperGirlOfDreams
Summary: Follow Adele as she stumbles through life, not remembering much of her past and yet trying to help the Organization regain theirs. Along the way, she'll meet friends and make new friends, as well as enemies. Zedele
1. She wants to go home

A/N: Alright, if you're confused, Adele lives in a house with Riku, Sora, Demyx, Axel, Zexion and Roxas.

* * *

Mistletoe.

He smiled.

The housemates would be happy with him for decorating.

Right?

Right.

* * *

"Oh. My. Hearts." 

"What's wro-" Riku stopped short. "Adele, what is this suppo-"

"It's too early for people to be-" Roxas was next. "Awake...?"

The entire room looked like a winter wonderland. Fake snow littered the room, a tree, fully decorated in the center, stockings hung by the... air conditioner...

"I am not cleaning this up." Adele turned on her heel and inhaled sharply. Her brown hair spun out behind her. "AXEL! SORA! ZEXION! DEMYX! GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Sora came first this time, wielding the keyblade.

"Hey, we're not supposed to be in the same room at the same time." Roxas looked between the few people around him. "You saw nothing..."

"Whatever."

Axel darted in. He tripped on a decoration by the door and landed on Adele.

"Get off." She pried him off her. Riku rolled his eyes and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What now?" Zexion had his eyes half shut and was about half there and half in dreamland. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Well, someone must have gotten the idea to dec-"

"No, not that, you and him!" The normally silent member pointed, eyes wide, but they could tell he was still only half there. Adele half closed her green-brown eyes.

"Zex, have you been... Drinking eggnog or something?" Adele stepped over to him and felt his forehead. "You don't have a fever, at least."

"SURPRISE!" Everyone winced at the level of noise. "How do you like the room?"

"Demyx... You did this?"

"Well, yeah, I thought it would help brighten everyone's holiday."

"I think it's very pretty, Demyx. But there is one thing."

"What?"

"No kissing-plants in the house." She pointed to the doorway.

"But it's fun!"

"But it's- what's the word?"

"Embarrassing?" Riku guessed.

"Awkward." She patted Demyx on the shoulder. "But, I suppose it couldn't hurt... Much..."

"YAY!" He hugged her tightly.

"Can't... Breathe..."

* * *

Blink. Line. Page. Turn page. Blink. Look up. Look back. Repeat. 

Blink, look. Stare. Stare. Look away. Look back. Repeat.

"Zexy, are you looking at me?"

"N- Why would I- I don't know what-"

"Okay, ever since this morning everyone's been acting weird."

"Not Roxas."

"No, not Ro- wait, why you and not him?"

"Uhhh... Internet?"

"Fine. But I'm still going away, virtual boy. Bye." She stood and walked out.

"Wait!" She turned around. He got up and stepped forwards. "You know, it's tradition..."

She looked up, and there was mistletoe.

"Oh- Zex-"

It was pretty quick, but left her shocked. He was off in a second though. He wasn't that bad of a kisser...

But no, she shouldn't think about it.

'Oops, thought about it.'

'Thought about it again.'

'Man, I just can't stop thinking about it!'

* * *

For the majority of the day, she stayed away from the doorway. But that didn't stop Demyx. 

"Hey there."

Adele looked around at Demyx.

"What is wrong with you guys today?"

"Uhhhh..." He paused, scratching his head. "Hormones?" His voice squeaked.

"Aaaalrighty then. If it's okay, I'll just go now... Later hormonal boy."

She dodged the doorway entirely.

"But, wait!" He spun her around to face him. "Where are you going?"

"My room... Why?"

"No reason." Without any warning, he leaned down and kissed her. Her eyes remained wide even as he left.

"IS EVERYONE IN THIS ENTIRE HOUSE INSANE!"

"Not Roxas!" She smacked a hand to her forehead.

"Thank you Zexion."

* * *

"Come on, open up!" Pound pound pound. 

"What is it?" Roxas appeared in the doorway.

"Help me!" She clasped her hands together. "Everyone has gone completely insane and I don't know who else can help me!" He sighed.

"Come in."

* * *

After explaining the situation to the best of her ability without going into the actual kissing, she tilted her head back. 

"Well then..." He scratched his head. "I think I know what's going on."

"Thank hearts."

"But I can't tell you."

"WHY NOT!?"

"It would be against the code."

"Oh, don't even go there."

"But it is!"

"Huh, against the code, eh? ... Actually, thanks, I think I've got the knowledge I need."

She was gone before he could even ask her what she was talking about.

"Oh man, even when I don't say anything I say everything!"

* * *

Before she caught up to the one she was looking for, she passed Axel. He started to say something, but she cut him off with a quick kiss on the mouth and hurried on. This time, he was left dazed, just as she had wanted. 

She opened the door loudly, then let herself in.

"Hey Zexy."

Was there something different about her? Same hair, same outfit... But, her eyes...

"Hope you don't mind me being here. I was just so lonely..." She ran her hand up his arm and then played with his hair. Was it getting warm in here?

"W-wh-wh-what are y-you doing?" He backed against the wall, still on the bed. She moved even closer. Her breath tickled his ear.

"Being with you."

Really, how much could he take? She was making him blush. And now she had a hand on his chest.

"What's the matter, not hot enough, Zexy?" He didn't trust his own voice. "I'll see if that can be fixed."

Her hands entangled themselves in his hair. She pushed up very close to him, so he could feel her every curve. His hands clutched at the edge of the bed, turning white. His eyes were shut tight so he wouldn't see her there, so close to him...Warmth radiating off her...

His eyes slowly opened. She still had that look in her eyes.

"Why did you kiss me earlier?" Her mouth almost touched his ear when she spoke.

"B-b-b-b-because I-" He gasped for breath he didn't know he held. "I th-think y-you-you're v-v-v-v-very pretty and I like you!"

She leaned forward and caught his lips, urging him on. He was only happy to comply. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap, he deepened the kiss.

Roxas picked now to walk by and see what the noise was about.

He let out a very girlish shriek and turned around, trying to run away but only hitting the wall. The two were as far as spacially possible from eachother, blushing like mad.

"That boy is gonna be scarred for life." With the look Zexion gave her, she just shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it." She got up and helped Roxas to his feet. He immediately tried to run again but she caught his arm. "Roxas, stop."

"I'm sorry! But it's hard to decide when a corner is safe to turn! I tripped over you in the mall, I walked in to get my jacket, now I come to see what's the noise and... GAH! THIS HOUSE REALLY IS INSANE!"

He ran off, screeching. The two weren't sure what to do now.

"I gotta go." She turned and ran down the hall.

"Thanks alot Roxie." A faint noise answered him.

"Don't call me that."

* * *

Zexion sat on the roof, a favorite place for both of them to be, alone with his thoughts. He had looked everywhere for her, but got no closer to finding her. 

But he heard something. Music, floating in the night sky.

"Lada dada mladada ladadada mda... Oooh ooh wooh ooh ooh..." A haunting melody, but calming.

"Ah was happy in mah harbor when you cut me loose, floatin on an ocean in confuse." He didn't know where this sound was coming from, since it was a southern accent that surrounded him.

"Winds are whippin waves of black skyscrapers, and the harder they hit me, the less Ah seem to bruise..." That was it. He was lost to the song. And somewhere, deep inside, he knew who it was.

"And when Ah, finally control, go where Ah like, go where Ah want to be, but maybe for now, Ah'll stay right heeeere, on a si-lent-sea... On a si-lent-sea-ooooh..."

"Starr..."

"Hi Zex."

"You have a beautiful voice."

"I didn't know you were there."

"Where are you?"

She jumped down from the top of a platform and walked over to him. She sat down next to him, leaning back so she could see the stars too. He silently took her soft hand in his, stealing a glance at her. Her eyes were smiling, staring up at the sky above, her mouth slightly open at her happiness of the beautiful night sky. He found himself smiling lightly at her before turning and shutting his eyes once more.

"You must trust me, to lay out like that with your eyes shut."

"I have no reason not to."

She lifted his hand and placed it over her heart. He felt a rhythmic beating.

"That's why I trust." She sighed sleepily. Her eyes were shut too.

"How can you trust anything, knowing that you may never get home?" He was immediately sorry for saying that, but she just sighed again.

"Because, if I trust others, they'll trust me. It doesn't help anything if I'm distant and uncaring. But it would hurt me." She moved his hand off her and set it down, letting go. He missed the warmth of it. "Being alone. It's not a good feeling."

"You sound like you know it."

"I knew so pretty well when I found myself in Radiant Garden with nothing but nothing. I was just lucky that I saw the ship and remembered."

"Are you a nobody? Were you a nobody?"

"I don't think I am. I don't think they exsist."

He bit his lip. She was right, of course.

"Everyone is somebody." She sat up and took his hand again. "Everyone is alike here." She moved his hand back over her heart, then moved his hand over his. But he couldn't feel anything.

"I really am nobody." He opened his eyes and looked into space.

"No, don't try to feel it physically. Feel emotionally."

He tried and tried, but still couldn't feel anything.

"Don't worry. You have a heart." She bent over and kissed him on the cheek.

He felt a little flutter where his hand was...

"Told you so. You just had to look for it."

His eyes filled with tears as he stared up into her face with graditude. They ran down in face, tears left uncried simply because he didn't want to show weakness, what he thought was emotion.

"Thank you."

"Hush, child of the moon. You owe me nothing." She brushed away a teardrop.

"That's not true. I owe this all to you."

"I didn't find your heart. I'm not a miracle worker."

"Maybe you didn't find my heart." He sat up and embraced her. "But you are a miracle."


	2. Nobody's home

Boy is my life tough. 

First, I saw Zexion kissing that girl, Adele, under mistletoe. Then Demyx catches her. Then she's confused, and comes to me for help. Then she confuses ME, and goes off somewhere. Then I see Axel about to get her too, but she beats him to it just to keep him out of her way. Then I walk by Zexion's room, and... Can't they close the door or something before thet start making-out!?

But, you know, I'm still confused.

Girls are weird.

Right now, Zexion and Adele are curled up on the sofa, either sleeping or just peaceful. Zexion, peaceful? It was difficult to believe. But he was... Smiling. I just now saw it. Demyx just came in a drew a picture of them together. Despite his musical ability, he stinks at drawing. This is an understatement. But when he asked me what I thought of it, I just smiled and kept my mouth shut...

Axel just came in now. He's smirking and looking for a camera, but I must admit that I snatched the only camera in the house and had it behind my back right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for blackmail. But it was just too confusing to pass up an opprotunity to see it like this.

Riku must agree with me. He's over there staring at them with the most confused look on his face. He's been that way since before I even woke up.

Well, I'm staring too. I mean, their foreheads are touching, holding hands on one side, they're so calm...

I sound like a total sap. But Adele says girls like total saps. She says Namine' and I belong together too.

But really, what does she know?

Must be pretty amazing to get Zexion to smile though...

* * *

All day, those two haven't said a thing. They only respond to eachother. Demyx almost had a scared fit when there was no food waiting on the table at breakfast. I have to shove some toast into his mouth and tell him to shut up. Meanwhile, those two are sitting over there and eating. She's feeding him like he's a king. And he's got an arm around her like she's his queen. Who knows, that might be true. But I think some of the others are getting jealous.

This is a house full of drama.

And look there, they have their noses pressed together. He's saying something. Now she is. But only they seem to hear it. Demyx goes over and pokes them, wanting attention. She brakes the stare and glances quizzically at him. He whines something. She smiles a bit and gets up, leading Demyx over this way and ruffling Zexion's hair on the way over. She pushes him at me.

"Demyx wants you to sing a song with him." He nods.

"What kind of song?"

Hearing what it is, I immediately shake my head.

"Why not?"

"No way, no how, not now, not EVER."

"PLEASE!!!" Demyx jumps in a circle around me. "PLEEEEEEEASEEE!"

"Fine, I'll think about it."

"YAY!"

* * *

The rest of the day, those two were reading in the living room. They sat at opposite ends of the room, meeting eyes every so often. She was reading some girlish book, and he was reading one of her magic-series books. I read part of one once. It was depressing. But she seems to like them, so I guess they can't be too bad. I'm reading the lyrics to this song Demyx thinks I should sing. Apparently, I'm not the only one who will sing. Everyone in the house will get together, and some others will come too, and we'll sing the songs that come up on Adele's i-pod shuffle depending on who can sing what. Somehow they know how to take out the voices so we'll really have to sing.

Until then, she'll read her little girly book and he'll read the depressing-magic-series, Demyx will practice his sitar, Axel will be messing with his hair, Riku will be trying to find a good song to sing, and I'll be... Here. Sora? I don't know. What am I, his keeper?

* * *

So, all the members of the Organization turn up at the casual performance. Suddenly I See is the first song, which Adele takes. Demyx plays his sitar with the music throughout the thing.

Adele then makes Larxene sing Don't Let Me Get Me, which she sings surprisingly well.

Then a Britney Spears song comes on and they make Adele sing it, even though she doesn't know all the words. It's called That's Where You Take Me. Zexion seems to enjoy it. It's this really melodic and slow song, actually.

No one can sing Spiderwebs but her, and we skip the next song because of it.

Then, surprise of all, no joke, Zexion sings Brace Yourself. It's even the acoustic version! Since we're in that building Adele goes to study the hearts, there are enough places for everyone to lay down. She explains that this is because she wants everybody to stay the night there once they get their hearts back, just to make them feel like nothing bad will happen. So she's all cuddled up to Zexion, and he's just holding her and singing, with her singing on the chorus. At the end, he gets lots of applause.

Next is Hotel Paper, which Adele sings with Namine' for backup. It wasn't as surprising as Zexion's performance, but it was really cool. Then she throws mic to Axel. He immediately passes it to me.

There it is, that song. They're all looking at me, waiting. I'll show them.

"Under the silver stars,  
Right where he broke your heart.  
Girl you know, I'd give you anything.  
I wanna hold your hand,  
And say the words he never said.  
I'll make you promises you can believe.

Let me be the one,  
Telling you it's alright   
Sharing the smiles and tears you cry.  
Let me be the one,  
Loving you when you're weak.  
For all of the strength you need,  
You can come to me."

About now Adele is out of shock and ready to sing background for me.

"When you're down and you feel so lonely Turn around, you can come to me When you're down baby, I will be the only Come to me

You can just be yourself,  
'Cause I don't want nobody else.  
All of your secrets are safe with me.  
For the kind of love you can trust,  
For more than just a crush,  
Baby, why don't you just come to me?"

She joins in, just enough to compliment my voice a bit. Her voice seems to play about in different tones while mine stays relatively steady.

"Let me be the one,  
Telling you it's alright   
Sharing the smiles and tears you cry.  
Let me be the one,  
Loving you when you're weak.  
For all of the strength you need,  
You can come to me."

Then it's both of us, with her part like parenthesis until the chorus.

"When I've got you in my arms (got you in my arms)  
Say it's where you wanna be (where you wanna be, yeah)  
'Cause girl I'm down on my knees   
Promising my heart, oh, my heart

Let me be the one,  
Telling you it's alright   
Sharing the smiles and tears you cry.  
Let me be the one, (Let me be the one)  
Loving you when you're weak.  
For all of the strength you need,  
You can come to me.

Let me be the one,  
Telling you it's alright   
Sharing the smiles and tears you cry.  
Let me be the one,  
Loving you when you're weak.  
For all of the strength you need,  
You can come to me.

Whenever you need me(always here)  
Whenever you need me girl   
Whenever you need me   
Oh, I'll be there Whenever you need me   
Whenever you need me girl   
Whenever you need me   
Oh, I'll be there..."

The whole room is silent. I throw the mic at Axel. It just hit him and he barely caught it.

Then, all of a sudden, the whole room is clapping for me. Everyone. Even more than they did for Zexion. Not knowing how to reply, I just scratch my head.

So, Axel hears part of the song and tosses it to Larxene. She demands that Adele help her. It's Leaving Las Vagas.

Axel gets the mic and demands that they pass the song he doesn't know. All American Girl comes on next and he starts smiling. Somehow, Demyx, Sora, Riku, Axel, and Zexion seem to know this song and have a whole dance for it, directed at Adele. They're having her play the part of the girl, and each takes a turn at the lines. It's pretty funny.

If She Knew What She Wants is on, so Adele grabs the mic and sings it with the help of the girls.

Now she goes right on to Steve McQueen. She must have been singing this to her cats, because she said one of them likes Sheryl Crow. I asked how she would know something like that and she just laughed. She really is something different. Anyhow, she's really good at this song.

Zexion just grabbed her and pulled her to him so she's laying on his chest again. Now he whispers something that makes her giggle. After that last song, no one sings anything else and just fades into clumps of friends and all. Those two now get up and walk into another room, probably to discuss some new idea for the heartless. After a little bit of being bored, I decide to go outside for a walk. Then I hear their voices, that girl and Zexion.

* * *

"Zexy, what'll become of me?"

"I don't know."

"Will I ever get home?"

"Do you want to get home?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I mean, I can't say this whole experience hasn't been amazing, but I don't know much about my past. I'd like to remember."

"What if it wasn't a good past?"

"Then I'll think it over and decide if it's okay to move on, with the present, my friends and strange little family."

"But you have no family here."

"I have Elearn, don't I?"

"I suppose so. But, she's only one person."

"Not true. And she's not ONLY one person, she is A person. There's a difference. And then there's Sadie."

"Sadie?" Zexion spoke Roxas' thoughts.

"Yeah, remember Sadie?" Her eyes cloud up with that same looks she gets when remembering things. "She always loved her music, especially when we'd sing together."

"What else?" Zexion prods her a bit, since she didn't remember often and it might help for her to think a little.

"Ah, we'd sing Michelle Branch songs. Empty handed. Her guitar playing would go right on along with my singing. The crowds went wild for us, cheering- cheering- La-" She gasps. Her eyes clear.

"You remembered something."

"Yeah, I did." She smiles sadly. "I almost..."

"The stars are gorgeous tonight."

"Sure are." She looks up at the sky. "The sun. I know there was that. it was one of those stars, the brightest to us because it was so close. You could only see it in the daytime. I guess that's pretty much true for all worlds, huh? Still, they are prettier when they're far away."

"I think you're pretty up close."

"Hehe. You're flirting with me."

"Is it working?"

"Hmmm. Not sure yet."

"Well, I guess I need to keep going then. How about..." He pauses. "I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?"

"You got that from Axel!" She laughs.

"Alright then. Your lips look so lonely, Would they like to meet mine?"

She does kiss him for this. Just a quick little one, but a kiss all the same. I think I might choke on fluff.


	3. That's where she lies

Adele put the ship on the ground and hopped out. She motioned with her hand for the others to follow. 

"Now, what have we learned today?"

"No burning lamps in the store?"

"No soaking carpets with icy water clones?"

"No slashing pillows to bits?"

"No pushing, clawing, or otherwise harming others?"

"That we should not go shopping. Ever."

"Right! Zexy has the point." She patted Zexion and smiled. "Now, lets get home. It's been a long day."

They walked along. Suddenly, a voice reached their ears.

"I'm hungry."

They spun around and saw a girl, complaining to the air infront of her. Her hair was a dark brown, her eyes almost the same shade.

"I'm hungry! I want some food! Ooooh chocolate!" She pointed to Adele. "Chocolate?"

She dropped the shopping bag.

"Who are you?"

"I don't remember. All I know is I'm hungry."

Adele blinked. What? Her eyes went into that distant trance, and she began to smile.

"I'm glad you came. I missed you!"

"Uh, oooookay..."

Adele skipped over and introduced her to each guy, except for Roxas who stayed home. The dullness in her eyes had faded.

Then, the girl seemed to understand something. She smiled too and greeted everyone.

"I'm hungry. Do you have any food?"

"Uh, we just went shopping..." Sora said, confusedly.

"Yeah, and Riku got us kicked out for almost killing half the stuffed animals." Zexion rolled his eyes.

"Hey, that one looked at me weird."

"Riiiight."

Axel sneaked up beside them and poked the girl on the arm.

"Hey cutie, what's up?"

She spun around and hit him in the back of the head by accident. Poor guy fell to the ground and blinked.

"Oh, soooorry." She added a bit of sarcasm to her words.

"Come on, we have food at the house."

"Can we keep her?" Demyx grabbed on to Adele's arm and looked at her with puppy eyes. "Pleeeease?"

"What am I, a dog?"

"Well, where are you staying now?"

"Uhhhh... Nowhere?"

"Perfect! Come on!" Adele dragged her away.

"...Did that girl just hit on me?"

"Get up, romeo." Sora prodded him with the keyblade.

* * *

After Anna ate half the stuff in the fridge, Roxas came in and handed her something.

"Hold this." He squeaked and ran off.

Axel came by soon after, chakrams out and fire in his eyes.

"AXEL! No killing in the house!" Adele iced his chakrams which had begun to burn.

"But- but- Roxas- and-" He looked over to the girl. His eyes grew wide.

"Take your nasty hairspray, freak." Anna threw it at his head, and he just caught it.

"Is he gone yet?" Roxas peeked from behind a chair. "Nope, still there."

"I'M GOING TO-" Axel paused. He thought a minute. "HURT YOU!"

"HAVE MERCY ON ME!" He darted out of the room, followed by Axel.

"Don't-" Adele sighed. "I've gotta go catch them before Axel sets Roxas' hair on fire again."

"GAH!"

"Too late. DEMYX! GO POUR WATER ON ROXAS' HEAD!"

"AGAIN!? FINE!" A pause. "DANCE WATER DANCE!"

She sighed again and dropped her head to the counter.

"Do they act like this all the time?"

"Only eight days of the week."

* * *

After everything calmed down...

"So, this is where you live?"

"Yeah, like it?"

"Yes! But, you live with..."

"Demyx, Sora, Riku, Axel," said guy waved and winked, "Zexy- uh, Zexion... And... Where is he? ROXAS!"

"WHAT!?"

"GET IN HERE! ANNA'S GONNA LIVE WITH US!"

"Why?" He stuck his head through the door. Then he caught sight of the girl. "Why didn't someone tell me she was gonna live with us?"

"We didn't know."

He sighed and walked in, stopping to greet the girl with a half-wave. She looked at Adele for a second and then smiled a bit at him.

"Hi."

Adele froze. She caught at the girl's eyes and seemed to connect to her mind. Being guys, they couldn't tell what was being said-thought, but it sure was embarrassing for that girl.

"Anna!" Adele broke off eye contact and shook her head. "No. Bad idea."

"Shut up."

"No. No way. Never! Just because something new comes along-"

"SHUT UP!"

"Tell me to my face that you don't think that."

"I don't." Suddenly, the girl smiled. Adele mouthed something that made Anna start to giggle.

"Oh. My. Tree." Adele shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Nooooo way."

"I hate you." Anna continued to giggle.

"I love you too." Adele smiled brightly and stole a chip off her friend's plate.

"Hey!"

"You shouldn't eat these. Bad for ya." She stole one more and poked Zexion, who was conveniently nearby. He smiled for a second, then went back to his original blank stare. The corners of his mouth twitched, though. "What's wrong, Zexy? Forget how to smile?"

"No."

"Okay. Don't smile then."

As soon as she said this, he smiled and started to laugh a little.

"Wow, guys are weird." She shrugged.

* * *

"Hi Roxas!"

"Gah!" Roxas jumped. He had thought he was alone in the kitchen... "Uh, hi... Anna, right?"

"Yeah." Anna giggled and poked his arm.

"Uh..." This girl made him kinda nervous. She was a bit strange. And she giggled. A lot. Like, every time he saw her.

Luckily, Adele walked by. Zexion was walking behind her, really quietly. He was watching her. He was about to ask if she knew she was being followed when she nodded.

"He says he just wants to look at me all day. I told him he could." She shrugged. Suddenly, she was pulled backwards and embraced. "Well, this is new. Hey Zexy, what are you doing now?"

"Cuddling, I think." He seemed a bit questioning.

"Okay then." She turned around and slipped her arms around him. Roxas blinked.

"Alright, what's going on with you two?"

"Huh?" Adele now had the side of her face on his.

"Are you dating?"

"Roxas, it's not nice to ask things like that." She pulled back away from Zexion and gave him a very quick and light kiss that would have been missed in the time taken to blink.

"You are!" Anna spoke up.

Adele couldn't answer. Zexion had caught her in a kiss.

"Ewwww gross! Fluff!" The girl covered her eyes. Roxas looked away until he heard something. It didn't matter who it was, it was someone, and everyone safe to know was in the room...

He shoved the two into the closet and slammed the door, spinning around and picking up a magazine to read.

"What's wrong?" It was Sora. Whew, that was luck.

"Nothing." Roxas, unfortunately, was a horrible liar.

"Then, why are you reading that upside down?"

Roxas threw the magazine over his shoulder. A bump in the closet set off his danger sign. He had pushed them in there pretty fast, and the closet was dark and had stuff in it.

"What-"

"Nothing, just..."

THUMP

"(Ow)"

"(Sorry)"

"Did you hear-"

"Larxene!" He wrung his hands nervously. "Larxene."

"What about-"

"She's-" THUMP "There!"

"Why is Larxene-"

"Locked in." He nodded. "Locked."

"Then we should find Adele and get her to open the door."

"NO! No, bad idea, she's, uh, sleeping...? Yeah, sleeping, that's it, and she says no one should interrupt her for any reason."

"But she never sleeps in the day unless something is wrong. What's wrong with her?"

"Uh... Uh... Uh..."

"She's probably just heartbroken again, when I get my hands on the guy who hurt her I'll give him something to worry about..." Adele looked to where she could tell Zexion was, since they were forced to be close, and appreciated his Larxene impression.

"That was Larxene."

"Yeah, told you, now..." Roxas tried to think of something.

"I can unlock the door." He held up the keyblade.

"NO! No, bad idea! She's... In there for a reason. Yeah, that works."

"And the reason is...?"

"Axel." He blinked. "Yeah. Axel."

"What-"

"She was about to kill him again so Adele locked them in the closet and told us to leave them alone until she got up!"

As if this would work...

"Oh. Okay." And he left.

Wow. That was plain luck.

Anna opened the door, but the two inside didn't move. They just kinda blinked a few times.

"Leave us alone already!" They yelled at the same time and pulled the door shut. Anna blinked.

"Do they do that often?"

"I'm not sure, it's the first time since I got here."

Riku suddenly came in, holding a sandwich. He flung open the door, motioned with his hand at the two inside who were very close, then slammed it shut again.

"Five times."

He left.

The others blinked.

"Oh, so they're kissing in the closet... Huh." Roxas went back to his food.

"Ew, gross." Anna sat at the table by Roxas and leaned on her elbow with her head propped on it. "Actually, it's a bit sad. I'm getting more fluff-tolerant."

"Huh?" Roxas asked, intelligently.

"No, it makes perfect sense. Well, no, I'm not sure... But you gotta be careful when dealing with her."

This was when Roxas noticed that the girl's eyes had become dull. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Ham." A voice from the closet, and then a giggle. "Ha! Ham!"

"Shut up." Anna got up and pointed at the closet.

"I know what you're doing now, you're pointing, like 'silence traitor!'" Adele opened the door. Zexion was sitting against the corner, looking a bit confused.

"Haha, funny. Jo-"

"Shut up."

"Fine."

Their eyes returned to normal and they both shook their heads.

Before anything else happened, a portal opened, and Adele sighed and walked through it. Zexion, for some reason suspicious, followed behind her. Anna thought it was a pretty portal so she started to go too, but Roxas held her back.

"No, you do not want to go into one of those things."

"Why not?"

He just shook his head.


	4. Broken inside

"What's up, Xemnas?" 

"What is 'up', is that we have located a new heart. What is he doing here?"

Adele turned to see Zexion and bit her bottom lip. Then she smiled and put an arm around his waist.

"He's with me."

"But, he can't know yet. We found..." He spoke very quietly. Zexion couldn't hear, but Adele could.

"Alright, sweetie, go back now. Go on." She pushed him into a portal and faced Xemnas. "Let's go."

"It's in Maleficent's castle."

"Gah. It can never be easy. Fine, I'll take care of it. You just keep looking."

"Agreed. But remember, no one else can know what is going on."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just leave it to me."

* * *

"You say she met with Xemnas?"

"Yeah."

"And he said something about a heart?"

"Yeah."

"And then they got rid of you-"

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON REPEATING ME!"

"Wow, suffering from lack of Adele. That's too bad. But I have a feeling she'll be back."

"GAH!"

Riku's theory was right, as he was knocked over by the girl mentioned. She immediately got to her feet, an excited look on her face. She pulled him up without struggle and faced them all.

"Hey guys, wanna go on an adventure?!"

"YAY!" Demyx pulled her into a hug and grinned. "I like adventure!"

"That's the spirit we need. Alrighty, for some reason you will find out later, we need to go to the castle. I need some help, seeing as it's heavily guarded. Are you in?"

They all agreed immediately, either willing to blindly follow her to the end of the earth, bored, or curious. She divided them into teams then stood by her own team, made up of Zexion, Riku, and Sora.

"Alright, Demyx, Axel, I need you two to distract the heartless. Infront of the castle, there are 500 shadows, 50 darkballs, 5 behemoths, and a samurai." The two boys both paled considerably. "Just do whatever you need to to keep them from attacking. I'll join you and then go and meet up with Anna and Roxas, who will be disguised as heartless and go in to the castle ahead of my own team. I'll find you three, and we will sneak as far as we can into the center, then push our way through. It'll take force, so we might have to split up, but never be without someone else. The goal is to get me to the throne room, where I'll find a special heartless. When I take it down, I'll find a way to let you all know, and then all of us have to get out in the order decided. I'll take whoever ends up with me and come to get the next people, then the next, until we get outside, then we need to get to the ship. Axel will drive."

"WHAT!?"

"We need to get out of there as fast as possible so they won't have time to figure out what we're there for."

"...Okay, but this sounds difficult."

"It won't be that tough."

* * *

"I thought she said it wouldn't be this tough!"

"Yeah, well, apparently heartless don't have your sense of humor."

"At least I'm trying!"

"Yeah? Watch this!"

Demyx jumped out to the middle of the stage and got the thumbs up from Adele. He began to play a song, one that seemed to serve their previous relationship...

"Let me know what I've done wrong," he looked to her for a second but couldn't continue eye contact. She slipped away, past Axel who looked pretty confused.

"Roxas, Anna, let's go."

"Why this heartless?"

"So I'd only have to come up with one outfit, duh."

A samurai and Adele came out from behind the corner. They got all the way to the next destination with little trouble, and there Adele got pulled to the ceiling just before a shadow came by. It stopped by the fake heartless a second, seeming to smell a heart, but moved on. Adele dangled uselessly by her waist from where Riku held her up, as he used hooks to keep on the ceiling. They passed down the hall and into a different room where the other two were waiting. They exited, keeping to the walls and corners and shadows and sometimes stopping in a hallway so shadows could pass in the intersection. It was all easy until a behemoth showed up and Sora and Riku split from the group to fight it off. Zexion and Adele continued on, not having far to go before they got to the-

"Throne room." Adele braced herself and threw open the door, rushing through herds of shadows and right up to Maleficent.

"Where is it?"

"Where is what? Do you not know how to knock, child?" Maleficent descended from her perch and looked down at the girl.

"Knock knock, can I come in, oh good, look here, I'm in." Adele leaned on her staff and somehow looked down at Maleficent, even though she was at least a head shorter than her.

"Hilarious." Maleficent swept out a hand and took her by the shoulder. Her eyes pierced into Adeles, sending a command for her to turn on her friends.

"Haha. No tricking me, witch." She tore away and ran past Maleficent, looking around. "Where is it!?"

"Bzzzzzaapp-"

"Buzzr...Kill?"

A giant bumblebee-like heartless came into view. It had two sharptoothed mouths, big bug eyes, wings on its arms covered in featherlike-something or others, clawed hands, attennae with mouths on them... And the heartless insignia.

"Oh, come on, I beat you once... What kind of joke is this, Maleficent? This can't be the Buzzr."

"Of course not. Very observant."

The heartless glowed a minute, then shape-shifted. Now it looked like a... Shadow...

"Oh, really, this is tough?" She ran at it and ran her staff through it. It went right through the thing. "Oh, joy, more surprises."

The not-shadow charged at her and expanded.

"DEEP FREEZE!" She blizzaga'd it and it froze for less then one second. "Level of health- six." She counted on her fingers. "Ouch, not good." She repeatedly froze the thing until she ran out of magic. "That should have taken off the first bar."

She backed up, not noticing that the other heartless had left. The thing lunged at her, grabbing the staff and... Eating it.

"SPIT IT OUT!" She clawed at the thing with her sharp fingernails and kicked it with her boots. She hook-kicked it down and it spit out the staff. By now another bar of health had gone. Four to go.

It opened its mouth really, really wide, and, to her shock and Zexion's, it ate her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then chanced a look. She could see out. She clutched her neck and tried not to breathe, not knowing what may happen.

"LET HER GO!" Zexion ran up to the monster and hit it, trying to rip it open and get to Adele. She couldn't hold her breath any more and almost passed out, but tried to breathe and found she could. But something was hurting her. She felt something clawing into her arm and let out a cry of pain. Zexion stopped. The pain stopped.

"You can't help her without hurting her." Maleficent walked forward behind him. "And do you know why she wanted to kill this one so much?"

Zexion looked at her. She pounded on the darkness surrounding her. She was saying something like 'don't!' She got a bit dizzy and fell into semiconsciousness.

"Let her go, witch!"

"My, what a nice boy you are." She gave him the same blank look as she gave Adele. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of the girl. There is a way to get her out without harming her, so once everything has calmed down I shall retrieve her and have a nice little chat."

"Shut up." He swung out a leg, trying to mimic Adele's hook-kick. Maleficent easily dodged and took his foot, pushing him back.

"Do you know, or don't you? I wouldn't blame you for asking. Curiousity is only natural."

"Let her go." He kept up his demand, despite the fact that he held no chance.

"She wants to get the-"

Without another word, he punched her right in the stomach and spun around. Adele didn't look so great, almost ill. He slipped out of his cloak, tying it around his arm and around a leg of the nearby chair and wrenching open the monster's jaws, diving in to the darkness. He couldn't see, couldn't breathe, couldn't hear... Until he heard that witch.

"Bad idea, boy. The darkness will eat you soon enough. Pity."

He shoved her voice out of his mind and focused. He closed his eyes, searching for... There!

The bit of light. Her light.

He clasped an arm around her waist and held her close, pulling himself up and out of the thing.

He scooped Adele up into his arms and carried her bridal style, taking only his cloak and her staff before high-tailing it out of there.

"It has your heart."

He froze.

"That's right, it's your heartless. It's taken a lot for her to find it, but now that she did, she loses it." Maleficent held out a hand. "Give her to me and you get your heart back."

He stayed rooted to the spot. His eyes closed. The gears in his mind were going overtime now, trying to figure out just what it felt like to have a heart...

But then, her felt a little touch, light as a feather. A bit of Adele's hair brushed his arm. He looked down at her face. Then he realized...

She was all he really needed.

He ran out the door, pushing on until he had passed Riku, who was the closest to the throne room.

"I lost Sora, I think he's not too far from- What happened?"

He didn't even look back, just kept running. Shadows grabbed on to him, climbing to his back and to his head, making him stumble and almost fall, and finally go down on his knees and fall to his side. But through all this, he held her close. He took the majority of the blows, shielding her, forced to close his eyes from the amount of darkness around him.

Just as he was sure he was about to die, he saw a pale blue light. It played on his eyelids and he slowly opened his eyes, shocked at what he saw. Adele, glowing this blue color, little rays of light seeping through the shadows...

A shattering noise.

They were gone.

She got to her feet, pulled him up, and Riku was by their side, supporting him and looking confusedly at her. She walked- no, glided- back to where she came.

Zexion, despite his current state, made his way back into the room in time to see her reach out an arm. A beam of energy charged in her palm, and she had to use two hands for it. Then was when he noticed what had changed about her.

Her hair was the same, but it blew out behind her, surrounding her like a shield, or maybe a halo. Her outfit was now a pale blue and white dress, floor length, no-sleeves. It had- well, not ruffles, but more like, folds- making up the skirt. Her necklace, normally a long gold chain with a red heart under a red and gold star, had changed. Now the necklace had a silver chain, and the heart had a keyhole on it with no star.

She finally let it loose, right at the heartless, and when it hit, it seemed to stop... Then explode!

The heartless stumbled, then fell, one last time. Adele rushed over, and the heartless was gone. She went right back over to Zexion and passed him. When she passed, he thought he felt a little stronger, and he couldn't feel any more pain. She made it out into the hall, radiating the light still. She passed Riku, then Sora, and the heartless he was fighting ran away from the light. He stopped, doing a triple-take. She kept going, past Anna and Roxas, who had ditched the act and then followed her in their shock. They all trailed off somewhere behind her, trying to stay in the same room as her so they wouldn't leave the pretty blue light. She walked onstage during the concert and put a hand on Demyx's shoulder. Then she walked past Axel and to the ship. The others continued to follow, and Axel took the wheel and they sped outta there!

* * *

Sigh. Blink. Eye shift. Blink. Eye shift. Blink. Repeat.

The girl lay harmlessly curled up in her seat, looking to all the world like a young kitten. Her blue glow, along with her outfit and necklace, had gone.

Along with his chance of being whole.

What had happened to the heart, after the heartless was gone?

He felt cold, like he would be sad if it were possible, and this made him even more- sad.

She didn't move at all that night, beside her deep, even breaths. None of them wanted to leave her alone, so they moved her to Roxas' room and all stayed there that night. None of them felt very tired.

A portal opened. Out stepped Vexen. He looked a bit upset, then he saw Adele and let out a sigh.

"It happened, didn't it? Oh dear, forgive me for intruding on your home, but I had to know if she was okay." He went over to her. He sighed again. "Thank goodness. She did it, and got out alive. Five more seconds in that form would have been too much."

"Are you talking about- drive forms?" Sora asked.

"Precisely. This girl." He sighed. "She'll be fine. Just don't let her get cold or else she might be sore from going over her limits tomorrow."

He left.

Adele woke up for a second.

"Did I do it? Did it work?" She didn't notice how Zexion wouldn't look at her. He didn't want to tell her...

"Yes, it worked perfectly, not that we know what you're talking about."

"That's good. Well, I'm going to sleep. Good night."

They all said goodnight to her, and she dozed off slowly.

They all gave in to sleep, one way or another. Zexion had his arms crossed and was leaning into the corner. Riku was simply on his back on the ground. Roxas looked a bit annoyed from where he leaned against the wall... Anna was clinging to his arm in her sleep. Demyx was sprawled out on the ground, between Roxas and Sora, who was on his side. None of them dreamed at all, just there together in the company of friends...


	5. There's no place to go

Adele got up last that morning, opening her eyes to stare into the deep green of Axel's eyes where he stood watching her. 

"Good morning."

"Morning, Angel. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm hungry, though."

"Kay, let's go get something to eat."

She got up, slowly, stretching.

"Oh, I didn't change before I went to bed."

"That's okay, neither did anyone else. Oh! Last night, Vexen came looking for you. He said he was... Worried. And Zexion is acting super-emo today."

"I thought- I thought he'd be happy." She swallowed hard.

"Hey, it's okay," he comforted, seeing her about to cry. "I'm sure he was just worried."

"Maybe- maybe you're right." She continued down the hall a minute, then stopped and hugged her arms to herself. "Axel, I wanted to fight that thing to get his heart back." She fell to her knees. "Oh hearts, it was so scary, not knowing if I could even breathe... I thought I would die-" She broke off, sobbing. He quickly hugged her, rocking her back and forth.

"Relax, it's over. You killed it, right? So, it's gone now, and it will never hurt you again."

"Y-yeah, it's gone." She fought to contain her tears. "This is just the beginning... I still have twelve- eleven..." She stopped suddenly. The hall grew cold. Her ears pricked up, and she inhaled deeply.

"Axel, I want you to run."

"What?"

"Run, get out of here, I'll explain later. I don't want you mixed up in this."

"But-"

"Just go!" She pushed him out of the hall and slammed the door shut. He tried to open it, but to no avail. She had locked it. He melted the lock, then kicked it down, just in time to see her disappear through another portal. He dove for it, but was just a second too late.

"GUYS! GET IN HERE!"

* * *

"Sup Xemmy?"

"Do not call me that."

"Okay..."

"NO."

"Aww, you just took the fun out of it."

"No matter. Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"The heart."

"Oh. Yeah, I don't know why you want it, it's not yours, so it won't help you." She walked a little ways in the meeting room and traced a bit of the nobody's insignia with her foot.

"I only want to see it."

"Nope."

"Vexen needs to study it."

"You're not getting it." She put a finger to her temple. "Got it memorized?"

Xemnas sighed. This girl had some courage.

"This will be continued later. For now, what happened to you?"

"Oh, you mean that weird mind-blank? Yeah, I'd like to know too."

Xemnas paced around a bit too. She looked at him and then back at the insignia. He turned to her.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, good question, and who are you?"

"Xemnas."

"In that case, I'm Adele. Nice to meet you, Xemnas!"

"Why must you be so difficult?"

"It comes with the package. Besides, you ask me like I would know what the answer is."

"I apologise. I forgot." He sighed. "Vexen has been concerned for your health. You might go visit him before you go back."

"Will do." She started to leave, then turned around and smiled at him. "And don't worry, I forgive you."

* * *

Knock, knock.

"Come in." Vexen was confused. The only people who ever knocked before coming in were Zexion and Adele. He caught sight of the girl and put down the microscope he was using. "Adele, you're healed. I'm so glad to see you're alright!"

"Hehe. Good morning to you too, Vexen." She waved. "I did it."

"I know. I'm proud of you."

With no warning, she rushed forward and hugged him.

"Thanks."

Then she turned and left, off to find someone to teleport her back. He smiled a little.

"Such a nice girl."

* * *

"I'M HOME!"

She jumped behind a door and waited. Everyone ran towards the noise, and she just missed being stampeded. Zexion turned and caught her in his arms, kissing her forehead.

"You're okay!" Demyx swept her up in an embrace and smiled like mad.

"What happened?" Sora questioned.

"Nothing, just a little meeting... Hey, Zexy, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, sure." He didn't want to. He didn't want her to be sorry for not getting the heart. But he figured that she had to know eventually.

* * *

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just figured... Ya know... You might want it now." She took a blue drawstring bag from nowhere.

"Star, you didn't get the heart back."

"What are you talking about?"

Zexion explained it all, not watching her until she lifted his face up.

"No, I remember. See..."

* * *

The heartless stumbled, then fell, one last time. Adele rushed over, pulling out a drawstring bag, also blue, and caught something. It stayed obediently where it was, and the heartless was gone.

* * *

"And so I've got it."

He was confused now. Very, very confused.

"Huh?"

"Look." She opened it slowly, and the heart floated out. It hovered infront of Zexion. He reached out to touch it, and it flew at him and into his chest. He gasped.

Adele was by his side, holding him up.

"It's just shock. Here, this might help." She took a necklace off, revealing the vial with blue something inside of it which she had hidden in her shirt. She uncorked it, letting the thing out and it flew over to Zexion, covering him with a blue glow a moment before dying down. He looked dazedly up at Adele.

"Whaa? What's happening..."

"There now, just relax... Ienzo."


End file.
